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Free events for Thursday, 08/20/15
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on August 20, 2015?

46 free events take place on Thursday, August 20 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out August 20 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of August . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

46 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, August 20, 2015

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Workshop | Park Tai Chi in August


Classes for all ages and experience levels. Park Tai Chi is provided by the Tai Chi Chuan Center and led by teachers and students who train at CK Chu Tai Chi under the direction of Jeremy Hubbell. Classes are rain or shine.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 am
Free

City Walk | Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo Tour


This is a 3-hour tour that begins with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of New York City for over 125 years, with spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tour then moves on to a stroll of Brooklyn Heights, America’s and New York City’s first suburb. The tour then explores the neighborhood DUMBO before ending at the Fulton Ferry landing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Tour | SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour


You've seen the iconic skyscrapers, attended a Broadway show, visited Lady Liberty and relaxed in Central Park. Looking for a little more of the Big Apple? Maybe it's time to visit some of Manhattan's oldest and most enchanting historic districts. Take a relaxing stroll through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Park Walk | Heart of the Park Tour


On this east-west walk you will see some of the Park's most well-known landmarks, including Conservatory Water, Bethesda Terrace, the Lake, and Strawberry Fields. Route involves a few stairs. 90 minutes.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Film | Norman Taurog's Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940): Hoofer Hijinks


Stars: Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy. A backstage yarn about two hoofers, Johnny Brett and King Shaw, who are an ambitious dance team working in a dance hall for little or nothing. A mistake in names shoots King instead of Johnny into the lead of a Broadway musical. On opening night King is unable to perform due to intoxication, and Johnny is forced to perform to save his partner's reputation. 102 Minutes
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Park Walk | Randall’s Island Wildflower Meadow Tour


Come take a tour of a wildflower meadow. Stretching along the East River near the iconic Hell Gate Bridge, the Wildflower Meadow is home to an array of native and ornamental plants that provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Join an experienced member of the Alliance’s Horticulture Department for a walk and talk about their favorite subject… flowers. A Randall’s Island Park Alliance staff member will be on site approximately 10 minutes prior to the tour to greet you.
   New York City, NY; NYC
11:00 am
Free

Tour | Explore Castle Williams Tour


Castle Williams, the centerpiece of the system of fortifications designed to guard New York City just prior to the War of 1812, has long been off-limits to the public. After an extensive rehabilitation project in 2011, the National Park Service opened the Castle's to the general public for the first time in the fort's 200-year history. Tours of the Castle take visitors through all three levels and the roof. Tours are approximately 30 minutes in length. Visitors are advised that tours require climbing three flights of stairs. The Castle's upper floors are not handicap-accessible. Start times: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided. Lessons are weather permitting.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Exhibition Tour: Public Eye, 175 Years of Sharing Photography


Join a 45-minute docent led tour of the exhibition.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Jazz on the Plaza


These midday concerts are free of charge and open to the general public. Many people bring a lunch or purchase it from one of the several area vendors. Concerts run for a little over an hour. Dates generally feature jazz groups from area colleges and performing arts high schools, a way to support the ongoing development of young jazz musicians.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
$10 suggested donation

Jazz | Larry Ham, Jazz Pianist and Composer


Jazz pianist and composer Larry Ham tours and records with many of today's top jazz artists, and has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and in Japan, Russia, and West Africa. David Dupont of Cadence Jazz Magazine writes, "He glides over the keys, with every note articulated cleanly... his playing is masterful."
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Big City Fishing in August


Fishing in New York City? You bet! Each summer, Big City Fishing offers a free program, to those as young as five who are eager to learn both how to fish and about the Hudson River environment. They provide the rods, reels, bait and instruction. Beyond teaching fishing, the program also provides participants with a first-hand opportunity to learn about river ecology and the many fish species that can be found in the river. Participants can drop in a line and relax, or engage with environmental educators on such topics such as water quality, fish biology and more. A fun and educational experience, Big City Fishing offers city-dwellers a unique option for outdoor family recreation.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour


Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Tour times: 1:00pm, 2:00pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Gallery Tour: Folk Art and American Modernism


Tour will be led by the museum’s gallery guides.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Retro Board Gaming for Adults


Share your passion for checkers, chess, mahjong, Monopoly, or Scrabble. All levels of play welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Screening | Napoleon: An Epic Life - Part 3 (2003): Emmy-Winning European Mini-Series


Stars: Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu. Part three of four finds Napoloen involved in the costly campaign in Spain. 100 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Tour | Alternative New York Tour


Time to learn about the other New York City; the city that nurtured political, cultural and intellectual revolutions. The city that gave birth to punk rock, the beat poets and graffiti. The city that has survived two centuries of mass riots, crime and corruption, murder and mayhem. The city that has flourished in spite of economic and social hardship.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Discuss Great Books in a Great Space


Monthly book discussions to explore titles you've been meaning to read, or reread, and discuss with other lovers of literature. Participants should read each title before the discussion. This month's title is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Tour | Harlem Tour


Although world famous, Harlem may be New York's best kept secret with some of the city's best architecture, food, music and people. Harlem's history is also one of the city's most dramatic, having gone through many ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic changes over the past roughly 400 years, which have resulted in a diverse array of places of worship, theaters, homes and eating establishments.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Film | Stuart Walker's Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935): Dickens Adaptation


Stars: Claude Rains, Douglass Montgomery, Heather Angel. An opium-addicted choirmaster develops an obsession for a beautiful young girl and will not stop short of murder in order to have her. 87 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Tour | Subway Art Tour


Many people think of the New York City subway as one of the largest, most efficient, if not the cleanest mass transit systems in the world. Few, however, think of it as the largest and longest art gallery on the planet. Well, they don't know what they are missing. This lively walking AND subway riding tour visits over a dozen subway stations to experience a selection of these striking often whimsical works that go largely unnoticed by the general public. Join this climate controlled subway and walking art tour. Along the way you'll learn about and become expert at navigating the (in)famous NYC subway system. There's also the invaluable opportunity to confer about your other sightseeing plans with the acclaimed Bronx born, vastly experienced licensed NYC tour guide, Darryl Reilly.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Exhibition Tour: Public Eye, 175 Years of Sharing Photography


Join a 45-minute docent led tour of the exhibition.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Beginners' Chess Social


Join us at our weekly Game Socials to meet up with like-minded players interested in the same games as you. On Thursdays, beginners are invited to play chess.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Performance | Performance Art: Single Occupancy


Single Occupancy, a performance work by Open Session artists Lauren Bakst and Yuri Masnyj, will take place in the gallery.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Kayaking in the Park


Glide along the water while kayaking. Children under 18 must have an adult guardian present. All levels are welcome and no experience is necessary.
   New York City, NY; NYC
5:30 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Open Studio: Katya Grokhovsky


Join current resident Katya Grokhovsky as she presents the works created during her one-month-long residency in an Open Studio culmination event, which will include a live performance. Grokhovsky will present Unresolved (2015), a participatory performance, during which Grokhovsky asks the members of the public to brush out her hair, which she has deliberately not combed for the last five months, serving as a form of a private, living protest.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Park Yoga in August


Perfect your downward dog under the trees and on the lush lawn at the 12th season of outdoor yoga classes, presented by Athleta with instructors curated by Yoga Journal and media support from Flavorpill. Mats are provided by Athleta - no need to bring your own.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Party | The Green Corps Garden Party


Neighbors and friends are invited to celebrate the graduating class of the Green Corps, a paid education and jobs training program for local teens. Selected from nearly 200 applicants, these twelve dedicated teens have spent the last six months caring for green spaces in our neighborhood and learning about urban ecology, horticulture, and sustainability. Stop by to congratulate the teens and learn about their work. Make crafts, take home your own seedling, and enjoy snacks made with food from one of the Green Corps's community garden projects. Families and kids welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Screening | 2 Short Films in Honor of Director George Stoney


Each August, New York Film/Video Council honors the life and work of George C. Stoney (1916-2012) - a legendary filmmaker, teacher, activist, role model, citizen and a cherished NYFVC past-president and board member - with a film screening. This year’s program considers the influence that Stoney had on generations of filmmakers through the showing of works made by two of his students. Mark Kitchell’s THE GODFATHER COMES TO SIXTH ST. (1975; 25 minutes) presents what happens to a neighborhood on the Lower East Side when a Hollywood film crew takes over the area to film part of THE GODFATHER: PART II. Kate Garland’s ON THAT DAY IN THE BRONX (1975, made 1974; 24 minutes) documents a re-enactment of the Passion of Christ by a local East Bronx community.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artists discuss the exhibition Name It by Trying to Name It


Artists will meet in the gallery for a conversation, open to the public, about their ongoing work, focusing on drawing as a catalyst in forming new relationships between the works in the exhibition. New artists in Name It by Trying to Name It: Amadeo Azar, Daniel Barroca, Matt Bua, Onyedika Chuke, Annette Cords, Marcelo Moscheta, Zach Rockhill, and Lauren Seiden.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Theater | Hudson Warehouse presents Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus


Titus Andronicus is famously Shakespeare’s bloodiest play with the highest body count and the Warehouse does “blood” very well. General Titus Andronicus returns to Rome with the Goth Queen Tamora. He has her eldest son, Alarbus, sacrificed to the gods in the name of his fallen sons. This bloody act releases in Tamora a revenge that knows no limit. The ones closest to Titus become the targets of her rage and not even Titus is safe.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Author Reading | Martha Joynt Kumar discusses her book Before the Oath: How George W. Bush and Barack Obama Managed a Transfer of Power


This lecture with an expert on presidential transitions documents how two presidential teams—one outgoing, the other incoming—must forge trusting alliances in order to help the new president succeed in his or her first term.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Park Circuit Workout


Reach your fitness goals in the world’s most beautiful outdoor gym! Get fit with innovative exercises designed by top trainers to utilize the Park’s best natural features: rocks, trails, stairs, hills, and gorgeous open lawns. A variety of in-Park classes will help you to maximize your strength and agility, as well as increase flexibility and muscle tone. Age 18 years and older.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Dance Performance | The Battery Dance Festival


Battery Dance Company will host its 34th Battery Dance Festival (formerly Downtown Dance Festival), New York’s longest running public dance festival. The Battery Dance Festival incorporates dance companies from around the world with diverse dance backgrounds and styles. The festival, which always takes place in August, offers audience members six nights of diverse, international dance performances coupled with an accessible and calm setting outdoors. International companies that will be performing include Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance, Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt, Norway, Trouble Crew, Romania, Polish Dance Theatre, Poland, Sankofa Danza, Colombia, and Botega Dance Company, Italy. New York Companies include Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Asia Duo, Ballet Neo, Battery Dance Company, Beatrice Capote, BOOMERANG, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Cornfield Dance, Indelible Dance, Jennifer Muller/ The Works, Mari Mead Dance Collective, Morales Dance, Pajarillo Pinta’o, and Tina Croll and Company.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Talk | A Discussion of Clarice Lispector’s The Complete Stories


With Benjamin Moser, author of Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Write-In Writers Workshop


Gotham Writers Workshop invites you to let go of your literary anxiety and pick up a pen. You’ll get three short writing prompts, a few minutes to write, and the chance to tell your story. Gotham instructor Melissa Petro leads this exercise for your writer brain—no pressure, no angst, just freewheeling creativity.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Zumba Class


Zumba class for adults of all fitness and experience levels. Young people ages 13 to 16 are welcome if accompanied by parent or guardian. Children under 13 may not attend.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Tour | Dark Side of the High Line Tour


The skeletal remains of the High Line’s elevated tracks set the perfect scene for a spooky evening. Join a journey to the creepier side of New York City’s most unique park. On this tour you’ll hear tales of the strange eccentric who lived below the tracks and saved them from demise, the curse of a West Side Cowboy who fell to his death from the elevated track, and the children who haunt the street formerly known as Death Avenue. If the moon hangs right perhaps you’ll witness the spectacle of a ghostly ship floating down the Hudson River; is it the long forgotten crew of Henry Hudson’s Half-Moon warning sailors not to go to sea? Or is it Captain Kidd protecting the treasure he buried on Liberty Island? Venture at your own risk through the dark side of High Line.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Film | Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused (1993): Stoned in the 70s


Stars: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey. The adventures of incoming high school and junior high students on the last day of school, in May of 1976. 102 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Performance | Alexa Kelly's Shakespeare's Presidential Primary: An Original Comedy in One Act


This hilarious new play, portrays a political primary that has been modeled on the X FACTOR, AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, and the traditional LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS format. Nothing is sacred.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Tour | Midtown Manhattan Night Tour


New York is a skyscraper city and there is no better time to view Manhattan’s icons than after the sun sets and the lights go on. Fueled by competition and a dash of audacity, New York City is still producing one of mankind’s most remarkable skyline. NOTE** THIS TOUR SPENDS MUCH TIME INDOORS OR IN SUBWAYS AND GREAT FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS. Please note they do utilize the subway on this tour so you will need $5 for subway tickets.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Concert | PitchBlak Brass Band, Eclectic 10-Piece Outfit


The 10-piece PitchBlak Brass Band infuses hip-hop driven beats with funk, rock, jazz, and classical music. Their rich brass harmonies, lyrical hooks, tongue-twisting raps, and rhythms will make your blood race. A collective of musicians, composers, and artists, PitchBlak embodies the vibrant undercurrents of New York City. They channel the style and sound of hip-hop from its early days in the 1980s to today.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:00 pm
Free

Theater | Shakespeare in the Park: Cymbeline with Tony Award nominee Lily Rabe


Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan (KING LEAR, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, PROOF) directs the Shakespearean fairy tale CYMBELINE, featuring Tony nominee Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater. In the Shakespearean fairytale CYMBELINE, Princess Imogen’s fidelity is put to the royal test when her disapproving father banishes her soul mate. Cross-dressing girls and cross-dressing boys, poisons and swordfights and dastardly villains all take the stage in this enchanting romp about the conquering power of love.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Dance Performance | Mister Mantis by Donna Ahmadi: The Dance of the Praying Mantis


This project explores the rich symbolism of the praying mantis in Western art and popular culture. Both an icon of gender reversal and of predatory prowess, the mantis fascinates with its lithe form, stilted grace, and oddly dignified cannibalism. Dali painted his muse with arms and hands folded--a classic gesture of the mantis and comment on the complex power relationships between them. Mantis style kung fu adopts the iconic wobble and reach of the majestic insect, its katas often expanding upon delicate movements of the wrist and hand. This project draws on both the martial and the marital, offering an intimate window into the sexual politics of a mantis "couple" and their dialogue of death, sacrifice, and renewal. Dancer Otis Cook will perform the male mantis and dancer Donna Ahmadi will perform female mantis. Barry Weil created mantis masks and moth, and visual artist Jennifer O'Flaherty painted and constructed habitat plants.
   New York City, NY; NYC
8:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Journey to the Stars: Stargazing in the Park


Come out and see the stars, planets and the Moon from the park. On Thursday nights in July and August, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will set up hi-powered telescopes for stargazing sessions that are free and open to the public. Weather permitting.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 pm
Free

Jazz | ArcoIris Sandoval, Jazz Pianist


Known for her innovative ability to incorporate contemporary melodic, rhythmic and harmonic devices in both her playing and writing, New York-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator ArcoIris Sandoval hopes to promote environmental and social awareness through her music.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free
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